This Week in My Haven: No. 2
This week in my haven would be hard to sum up in a few short words or phrases. There have been highs and lows. There have been great moments when I felt really proud (like getting my first newsletter sent out and seeing people post pictures of the Haven Handmade items they have received), but there have also been challenges (feeling like every time I completed one thing on my to-do I needed to add three more items to it). I think my mood has been affected this week by the ups and downs in the weather too. How about you? Was this week a mixed bag in your home too?
What I’m thinking about: Family Rituals. One ritual my husband, daughter, and I have in the cooler months of the year is to watch a movie together on the weekend. We have recently made Friday officially “Movie and Soup Night”. I know pizza and a movie is a little more traditional, but it is the one food my 6-year-old is picky about. She’ll eat things like bitter arugula and tangy feta cheese, but she won’t eat pizza. Unbelievable, right? Honestly, I’d rather have it this way than the reverse, even if it means I eat less pizza than I might want to. I got a little off topic there... Anyway, I am really looking forward to our movie night tonight because I am capital-R ready for a lazy weekend. Here is a nice article about family rituals, if you want to read a little more about them. Do you have any family rituals? I would love to hear what others do!
What I’m making: I, of course, have been sewing items for the Haven Handmade shop, but I have several other projects on my sewing room table. One is cloth face masks. If you got my October newsletter this week, you already know why! (A free cloth face mask will be included in all October orders.) I have also been working on a very special custom order. The customer requested a baby lovey blanket that looked like a fox. It is turning out so cute! I think I may need to add something like it to the shop. I am also planning to work more on the Playtime Dress by Oliver + S for my daughter, and I will be sure to show it to you when it is finished. Speaking of Oliver + S, I was featured on their blog for a skirt I made myself earlier this summer.
What I’m cooking: As I mentioned, on Fridays we make soup to go with our movie. Tonight we are planning to make tomato soup. I am probably not going to use a recipe to make it though. I will probably peel the fresh tomatoes I have, then roast them with some onions, garlic, and herbs, then add chicken broth before I puree it. Maybe I’ll add some half-and-half for richness, maybe not. If you have a favorite tomato soup recipe I should try instead of winging-it, please do share! We will definitely be having grilled cheese sandwiches with our soup. I have a loaf of sourdough in the oven right now for those. Any dessert tonight, if I have time to make it, will be apple crisp. The crisp topping from this recipe is my go-to, and I just swap in whatever fruit I want to use for the apricots. I will probably make a double batch of this because we went apple-picking last weekend, so I have plenty of apples to use!
What I’m reading: Last week I mentioned that I am reading Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore, and I am really enjoying it. I am trying to get back in the habit of reading up to bed a few minutes early so that I can have some reading time before falling asleep. I also read this article about the life and art of Elijah Pierce and it made me think about our intrinsic desire to create beautiful things. Pierce didn’t set out to become an artist. He created carvings that were given as gifts or meant to express his faith. I found this story inspiring and related to Pierce’s desire to use his art to draw together his community, rather than for fame or wealth.
Thank you for stopping by here to read my thoughts this week. These aprons aren’t going to sew themselves, so I better get back to sewing. I hope you have a cozy, lovely weekend!
